The Tale of a Daisy
by akemi13
Summary: Follow the tale of a young girl named Lucy,a girl wanting to rid fears and rise in success as a Pokemon trainer, and her best friend Igni, a loyal Magby who friendly nature often gets him and his trainer into trouble./ Not very good at summaries- check out my story!
1. Chapter 1

At seven a.m, on the dot, a loud and continuous chirp spanned across the residence. It rang thrice before being silenced by a more than necessary forceful swat. 'Huh… Uh-oh! Sorry Mister Alarm Clock!' The girl bolted from up her bed, wincing at the clock she had pushed onto the floor before gently setting it back onto the nightstand. After making sure the glass was intact, she proceeded in a near run towards the bathroom to get ready. Today was the big day! Today was the day when she'd officially become a pokemon trainer!...She slumped over the sink with a groan, her toothbrush suspended just outside her lips. So why was she so nervous? Her tummy was performing more flips and twists than an acrobat. "Sweetie? Are you about finished in there? You're going to be late!" She froze. 'Oh no! Luckily, she had expected herself to chicken-out to the point that she might be late. Yes, that's right! She had expected this of herself. 'Thank heavens I packed everything last night…' She straightened up her back and faced herself in the mirror; her reflection glaring art her with a frown. 'I…I promised Granny and Grandpa. I have to at least try!' "Be right out, Granny!" And with that, she brushed her teeth with such haste that she nearly ripped her gums out. That is, until she really did prick her gum so harshly that it bled. "Oww..." she whined; reminding herself to never brush that fast again. No matter what.

"Good morning, Lucy." She glanced around anxiously as she approached her grandmother. She was trying her best to ignore the wafting scents coming from the kitchen. "Good morning, granny. Did you sleep well?" "Why of course. And yourself dear?" Before she could answer the question, she was tackled from behind. A tackle gentle enough to not knock her over, but with enough force to make her totter a bit. "Mag, Mag!" Igni! She had been so riled up about future events that she'd forgotten to give her good mornings to Igni! She turned to him and lowered to his level before giving him a soft pat on the head. "Good morning, Igni." Her grandmother chuckled at the scene and beckoned them towards the kitchen. "Fresh apricot pancakes. Just the way you two like them," she soothingly announced. Lucy's stomach churned. She opened her mouth to excuse herself from breakfast but was cut from the action by a tugging at her shorts. Igni was smiling up at her, as if urging her to join him for the treat. Then the young Magby quickly ran eagerly towards the kitchen, obviously expecting Lucy to follow. Lucy looked towards the direction for a while before finally sighing. She hunched over slightly before deciding to walk to the kitchen to eat with her family. Maybe food would do her some good- assuming that part of her nausea was hunger. Besides, how on Earth could she say no to her adorable Magby-friend's face?

Alright so, her stomach wasn't being very cooperative with her today. She had only been able to handle a couple of bites before opting to play with the small apricots on her plates. Her grandpa had finally sat down to join in on the breakfast; Igni right at his side, noisily munching on a berry. "So! Are you ready for your big day, Champ?!" He proclaimed with a joyous guffaw and a pat on his belly. She cringed. "Uh… Yes. Hahahaha…." "It's a shame you don't want to be a breeder. But I'm sure you'd be a mighty fine Elite Fo-". He halted his words at the glare his wife was giving him. He mouthed a 'What'd I do?' before deciding it was best to just focus on his breakfast. "Let her be; if you keep distracting her she'll be late to the group." She chided. "It'd be best if ou started to head out, now, Lucy." Lucy stared at her grandma blankly before nodding dumbly. "Are you ready Igni?" She had nearly yelled her question, relieved that her grandmother wasn't going to forced her to finishing her breakfast. Igni squealed in agreement before dashing towards Lucy's room, with Lucy close behind. "Can I finish eating our pancakes for you?!" Her grandpa happily took the silence as a 'yes'; but before he could take a bite, he paled at the shake of his wife's head. "What? ...No really….What'd I do wrong?" "No pancakes for you."

She stood facing the doors in front of her, her grandparents after her. Her grandmother had had to nearly pry her off of when she had given each grandparent their goodbye hugs. Igni was much less tenacious with his farewells. Igni was also much more excited to head out and start this adventure than Lucy was- The tugging at her shorts proved it even more. "Lucy." Said girl snapped out of her reverie when her grandmother placed a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck." The old woman's eyes crinkled from the toothy grin she offered her granddaughter. Lucy hunched up a bit before shooting back a smile of her own, although it paled in comparison. "Oh! That's right!" The woman gave her husband a sudden slap on the belly as she bounced up a bit. "Be a dear and get her present." "Present?" Lucy asked curiously as the old man shuffled off with a huff. The grandmother laughed weakly before answering. "We scrounged up a bit of money to buy you something. A little present for your tenth birthday. "But…. I thought you said this adventure was my present." "Oh hush up child! That was uttered by your grandfather, who's a dirty cheapskate! I'm pretty good at convincing him though…" "Uhhh….." "Anyhow," the woman quickly interrupted before her granddaughter could ask any questions and turned to her husband, who had brought the gift, "If you won't think of it as a birthday present then think of it as a going away present." Lucy took the rectangular box into her hands, giving a hesitant nod before going on to slowly unwrapping it. "I hope you like the Pokegear, Champ!" "You Muk! It was supposed to be a surprise!" Oh. Screw the pretty gift-wrap! With those words, the girl was suddenly overcome with a giddiness and excitement that can only be witnessed in a child who has a new toy. A new, and quite expensive, toy. For a moment, at the sight of the Pokegear, she forgot of her horrible anxiety and hugged her grandparents once again. "Thank you, Thank you!" "Oh-ho! Yes, yes. Now you can give us calls anytime you want!" "But you must hurry along now! Go on, go!" "R-right!" She opened the door and, with a reassuring push from both her grandparents, stepped out onto the path." You can do it, Champ!" She heard the encouragement shriek out through the window and with that, she straightened her back and walked a couple more steps along the dirt road. Then, about a good way from the sight of the little house, she stopped at her tracks, let out a huff, and hunched over once again. "Mag?" Igni peered up at her, wondering about her sudden stop. She shifted on her feet a bit and gulped loudly before daring to open her mouth. "I can do this. I can do this!" She muttered the mantra under her breath. She took a breath, stood tall, and gripped the strap of her bag tightly. "I c-can do this," she repeated again as Igni chirped in agreement and took her hand; urging her on along the path towards Ilex Forest, where their journey would begin. A path that would be the start of a dream that would prove difficult to achieve.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello there! I forgot to introduce myself in the earlier chapter! I was so excited to put this up that it slippe my mind. xD Nice to meet you all, Akemi13 here! The Tale of a Daisy is my first fanfiction ever! So please, don't be shy to critic my work- in fact, I want tips and advice on what I can do to improve the quality of my work. Also, I was originally going to post a prologue to accompany these two chapters but I wasn't very sure if I should and, for now, I've decided against it. However, if you think it's a good idea to do so please mention it. :3 Ok, so let me do the disclaimer:

Pokemon does not belong to me in any shape, way, or form- It is property of Nintendo, Satoshi Tajiri, and everyone else that had a role in creating any of it's adaptions. I'm am writing this story for entertainment purposes only.

Begin!

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As she passed over the numerous, branched off paths and slopes, she deeply prayed for one thing. And that was for her to be on time to catch up with the group. You see, Lucy had gotten up super-duper early to ensure that she wouldn't arrive late…for the travel group to Newbark town. Some people would say she was worrying for nothing- a few minutes late wouldn't hurt anyone. Her grandma understood though, she too deemed it rude if you weren't punctual to a gathering. "Ah! 8:01! 8:01!" She clutched Igni's forepaw (? A/N- I wasn't sure whether to go with paw or hand. But since hand sounds a bit strange, I went with paw. xD) even tighter and, with a near trip, picked up her pace with a run.

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After a three-minute run, she caught the sight of a few people gathered close together. All of her age of course, even though most of them were a bit shorter than her. She hunched a bit at the thought. 'Surely there must be more of them?...Oh well, at least I'm not the last one to arrive.' She spared a quick glance at her Pokegear and winced. 'Still… I'm technically four minutes late…' "Mag!" "What's wrong, Igni?" The Magby smiled with excitement. "Happy, huh? Well as soon as our guide comes we'll set out, so be patient." She was about to give him a smile of her own when she noticed that Igni focusing his sights on something else. Or some people. Igni's eyes lighted up before tugging at her hand and pointing towards the other children. Then, he scampered behind her and gave her a light push. "What's wrong, Igni?" Lucy was curious as to what he had found so urgent as to push her. In fact… it was as if he was trying to motivate her to do something. He kept on with his gentle shoves at her back, directing her to the other kids. Wait. Other kids? Lucy shuddered slightly at the realization before hopped away. "Nuh-uh," she mumbled with a shake of her head. She wasn't good with people; she was more of a pokemon person, really. Igni shared the same belief that her grandparent did. The belief that she should try harder to make friends. Unfortunately for her though, Igni was a bit more tenacious then her grandparents. Igni frowned and proceeded to, once again, push her towards the kids. However, throughout the relentless struggle, the few kids that were there caught sight of their antics and began to snicker. "What the heck are they doing?" "That little red thing is her pokemon? How lame." "Hey, they kinda match in color! What are they, a circus act?" "Freaks." All sorts of whispers and mutterings reached her ears; her face flushed and suddenly matched her hair color. "Ig-igni, stop!" At her near-shout command, Igni halted his actions and whimpered softly. He was just trying to help, is all. Sadly, he had quit at this persistence much too abruptly. Lucy, who had thought he was still behind her to hold her up, lost footing and fell down harshly on her bum. The chuckling quickly erupted into booming laughter, leaving Lucy to keep her gaze at the ground in embarrassment.

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The usually cheerful Igni remained quite saddened as he and his friend watched the group of kids fill up. Some kids had come as far as Olivine to join the gathering for this trip- a trip which would reoccur in two weeks. Since they weren't official trainers yet, some didn't even have pokemon friends, they would need someone to guide them through Ilex Forest. Igni gave a soft sigh and scuffled closer towards Lucy, who was looking intently at her Pokegear clock. "Our guide will probably be here in a few minutes…"she muttered quietly; her face still a bit red from the previous incident. Then, without lifting her eyes from the time, she whispered, "S'ok Igni. You were just trying to help," and gave said pokemon a pat. "You know… my tummy is still turning a lot. But I'm a bit excited now." She shot him a tiny grin. "I might even pick a starter pokemon- and if I do, we'll have a new friend." Igni smiled back, even though it wasn't his usual, stretchy grin. "Alright kiddos! Let's get this show on the road!" Lucy lifted her head towards the loud proclamation to see who it belonged to. She instantly recognized who it was and, along with nearly everyone else, gaped at the newcomer. It was Whitney, Goldenrod's very own gym leader. 'Aren't gym leaders usually too busy to deal with this sort of thing?' A bunch of kids proceeded to gather beside her with awe and bombarded her with greetings. Lucy, and a few others, just stared in surprise from where they were. "Now, Now! I know what you're all thinking! Why am I, Goldenrod's finest, coming here to lead you guys myself?" Lucy gave Igni a startled look, to which Igni tilted his head in confusion. 'Wow! Is she a mind reader too?!' "Well, I'll tell you why! Every gym leader needs a break on once in a while….and who else but I can give you an awesome tour?! Right?!" She raised her fist in the air; one group of kids even whooped and cheered alongside of her. "Now, I think one of my fellow trainers at the gym is supposed to come. Ya know, Morty was supposed to come too," at the mention of Morty, Lucy noted that one girl perked up with attention, "But he was too busy or something. Whatever, he's not as fun as me!" Almost every kid yelled in agreement, the girl in the lavender dress being the only one who scowled at Whitney. Igni had also livened up with all this cheering. Unfortunately, they'd have to wait for the assistant trainer to show up.

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Lucy eyed Whitney's pokemon from the back of the group with keen interest. Now, she had never seen that type of pokemon before. And she read tons of books about pokemon. Then again, most of those books dealt with the Johto region. She could identify a Rattata, a Pidgey, an Elekid…heck, and even a growlithe- and those usually lived far like in Violet town. But she could not, for her life, identify this short, pink creature with a curled tail that smacked Caterpies left and right. Whitney had wanted the other pokemon to learn from her own. Heck, she had even wanted for everyone to try and find their own battles. Fortunately, the assistant trainer had suggested against that, much to Whitney's chagrin. Lucy had tried her hand in sparring before with Igni and, while she wasn't god-awful, she wasn't very good either. She tended to panic a bit. Speaking of panicking, her legs were starting to tremble again. Gone was most of her pre-official trainer anxiety, now replaced with her gnawing fear for the creepy atmosphere in the forest. Her eyes darted left and right as she tried to keep up with the group. She was also starting to feel bad for Igni, for every time she swore she saw or heard something strange(Great Lugia, is that a Haunter behind that tree?!), she wrenched Igni's hand. "We're almost through the forest, guys! Just keep on tru- Whoa there, Kevin! Careful with that tree root! Don't worry Lynda, Oddish are harmless!" Whitney was starting to worry her now… she had said 'that they were about to enter Azalea' about ten minutes ago! She sighed softly before resuming her nervous surveying of the surrounding nature; occasionally sparing a glance to this 'Clefairy' creature. Then, all of the sudden, she caught sight of something amongst the tree tops. Something that had darted in a near blur across the tiny span of visible sky above her. For that moment, she felt calm as her sight remained fixated; not even Igni's tugging brought her out of her reverie. 'What was that?' she wondered to herself. "So…you saw it too…" And there went her state if ease. Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin before she took notice of the owner of the quiet, drawled out voice. A pale girl, only a bit shorter then her, stood far too close to her. She had her gaze on the skies above- a small, fascinated grin drawn upon her face. "Um…H-hello…" And as fast as the smile had appeared, it vanished. The girl turned to her and frowned, allowing Lucy to take witness of a jet-black bird pokemon perched on her shoulder. Igni was about to make the motion of pushing Lucy like before, when he stopped his tracks and settled for gripping at her shorts instead. This went unnoticed by the other girl, who gave a short nod. "It's a shame that Morty didn't show up. And yes, hello." And with that, she turned sharply and walked off back towards the group, leaving a slightly dazed Lucy behind.

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After this seemingly strange confrontation, Lucy's mind wondered over many things. She wondered mostly about the strange thing that both her and that girl had seen. She also wondered if she had said or done something that had offended said girl, which in turn made her worry if she as now disliked. Oh great! The first time that she actually thinks someone wants to be her friend and she blows it with a mere hello. Lucy, being so preoccupied in her unnecessary and worrisome thoughts, almost didn't hear the squeal that arouse from their guide. Whitney glanced back at her group of trainers to be and grinned widely at them; the assistant content as well. "Welcome to Azalea Town, kiddies!" And with that uttered, Lucy herself nearly yipped in delight. Finally! They were finally leaving this dreadful Ilex forest.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! School, ugh. SO yeah, Hope you enjoy this chapter- it's a bit longer than the others. :D

The journey to New Bark Town had been a long and tiresome one indeed. Even with various rest stops in this two-day trip, it still had managed to turn some kids into zombies. The only ones immune to this harmless disease belonged to the species: Homo Athleticus. Lucy, at that moment, had nearly regretted her neglect of exercise. Almost. So when Whitney finally announced that they had arrived at the glourious New Bark Town, the majority of the troop let out a sigh of relief. Even Igni rejoiced. They had made it, to the place where everyone's official adventures would start! Lucy found herself bubbling with excitement, for once, instead of trembling with anxiety. She was still shaking a bit as she remembered her experiences in Ilex Forest and Union Cave, but she'd soon get over that. Soon as in a day or two. 'I wonder what starter I should pick. ' She grabbed onto Igni's hand and lead him closer to the mass of children gathered around Professor Elm. Everyone chattered amongst themselves, asking for their friends' opinions and examining the pokémon available. She spotted a Totodile dancing happily; to which Whitney was busy gushing at. "What do you think Igni?" Lucy glanced at him, only to notice he was completely mesmerized with the twirling reptile. She smiled and let go of his hand, allowing him to go off and play. 'Maybe that Totodile would be a nice companion for Igni….' As she looked at all the kids around her, her smile drooped. 'Maybe I could ask someone? No….I don't really k-', her eyes caught sight of the same strange girl who had talked to her, albeit only once, before. She sat at a measurable distance from everyone else, her bird pokémon comfortably lying atop her lap. Lucy gulped softly and clenched her fists. 'Nuh-uh, I can't start a conversation at all, especially with someone I don't know.' She let a sigh escape her. "Do you need advice on what starter to choose?" "Ah! Oh…s-sorry sir!" "Hahaha! It's quite alright," the Professor pushed up his glasses and shot her a smile. "It's good to consider what variables come to play when selecting a starter. Will this be your first pokémon?" "E-eh? Well no…I, um, have a pokémon friend already. H-he's a Magby." At this, Professor Elm's eyes widened. "A Magby? I see. Very nice! Are you by any chance related to the Day Care couple in Goldenrod?" This time it was Lucy's turn to be surprised. "Yes- I'm their granddaughter, L-lucy." "Ah. That explains it." He looked around and finally caught sight of Magby, who was currently playing and singing with one of the Totodiles. He laughed loudly and shoved his hands in his pockets. "He's pretty friendly, isn't he?" "Yes…He's a v-very happy and friendly pokémon." He scrutinized Lucy as he hummed to himself. "Say, can I introduce you to someone? She's quite shy, but I think she'll like you and your Magby. "Uh…Okay." She called Igni to her side, took hold of his paw, and obediently followed after the tall man. They weaved through the people in front of them, trailing away from the main entrance of the Lab. "She should be hiding around here somewhere…" He glanced back at Lucy, who gave him a nervous smile, and looked about as he kept walking. He was so concentrated in his search that he nearly tripped over a girl by the trees. "Whoops, sorry! Didn't see you there," he apologized as he kneeled to the girl's level. She didn't say anything nor did she react much. Lucy stood near the man; she wriggled anxiously at the look the girl's bird was giving her. "Say, have you by any chance seen a Chikorita hiding around here?" She gave him a blank look before nodding and pointing towards the back of the Lab. Professor Elm arched a brow in surprise. "Wow, I can't believe she's that afraid of people. Alright, thanks!" He pushed back his glasses as he lifted himself off the ground and dusted off his slacks. "Say, Have you picked out your starter yet?" The girl frowned before opting to answer. "I don't have any interest in a pokemon that isn't dark or ghost type." "Oh well…Are you sure?" Her partner hopped onto her shoulder and squawked loudly at the man. "Haha! I guess your Murkrow shares the same thought. Alright then," he cleared his throat and walked off, "Good luck on your adventure!" Lucy glanced at both repeatedly. The girl was busy looking off to the side, her arms crossed and her mouth a thin line. Lucy uttered a quick goodbye, to which the girl did not respond to, and went after the Professor.

"Chiki! Chikorita! Come out!" Igni joined in on the Professor's calls while Lucy peered through the trees and bush. "Chikorita!" Suddenly he halted. Rolling up his sleeves, he plunged his hands into a hedge and struggled with the defiant Chikorita. "Chika!" "Now, come on Chikor-Ow!" He successfully brought her out, and with only a few scratches and cuts as proof of his battle. "There, there, settle down…" He held the shivering Chikorita to his chest and patted her soothingly. "You see, Chikorita? We're your friends!" Lucy gave her a small wave as Elm placed her onto the floor. He sat next to her, making sure she didn't try to flee. "See, that's Lucy and her Magby friend. They're going to be your new friends." Chikorita widened her eyes and squirmed against Elm's hold as Igni approached her. "I-Igni, I don't think you shou-" "No, no! Let him play around with her. She needs to stop being as fearful of… well, everything!" Elm shook his head softly and fixed his gaze on Lucy. "Why don't you pick her as your starter?" Lucy's jaw nearly hit the ground. "B-but sir…I'm not s-so sure I'd be a good fit…" "Because you two are extremely similar? Yes, I understand what you're insinuating." He looked at Igni, who was currently whistling cheerfully at the timid Chikorita. "He seems to be skilled at making other pokémon feel at home." "Yes, he certainly is…." 'But I, on the other hand, just make others feel even more uncomfortable,' she thought to herself as she grasped at her pant leg. "But I feel as if she might find it easier to relate to you since you two seem to be cut from the same cloth." Her head shot up quickly and stared at him with astonishment. "Now, I'm going to propose something to you. Can you do me a favor, Lucy? It's going to be a tough one but," He stood up and pulled a pokeball out of his pocket. Chikorita yelped and tried to make a run for it, but he swiftly managed to return her back to her pokeball. "But I'm sure you'll accomplish it, especially with Igni at your side." He walked to her side, giving her a friendly smile as he placed the pokeball into her hand. "All I'm asking you is this: Become Chikortia's friend and bring her out of her shell." Lucy straighted her back. "I'll d-do my best sir!" she blurted out with face flushed.

Lucy had been one of the last few to receive her Pokedex and extra supplies. By the time Elm had finished explaining the little mission to Lucy, nearly everyone had departed to start their adventures. Even Whitney and her fellow aide had left for Goldenrod, where Whitney's gym awaited her return. After a brief description on how the Pokedex worked, Professor Elm had given her a great farewell and had wished her luck. "I should call grandma and grandpa, shouldn't I?" "Mag!" With one hand in place with Igni's, she searched for the Pokegear in her bag and clicked the Daycare's number. Her smile grew from ear to ear when she heard the gentle greeting from the other side. "Yes, hello Grandma. It's me, Lucy." "Lucy! Dear, how are you? How is everything? Turn on the video chat through our side!" She fumbled with the gear as she tried to find the switch. "Oh." Her grandma smiled at her. "Everything's fine, Grandma. I'm sorry I haven't called you since you since Union Cave." "I was growing a bit w- " "She was gonna call ya and ruin your fun! At least your trusty grandpa stopped her, right kiddo?!" The old man bellowed, his wife glaring at him with annoyance. "How's Igni? "We're both fine, Grandpa." She paused and spared a quick glance to Chikorita's pokeball, which lay in the inside of her bag. "I got him a new friend and I'm about to head off from New Bark Town." At this, both grandparents raised their brow in curiosity. Their granddaughter didn't sound as nervous as they had expected. What had happened? Lucy grinned shyly and darted her eyes from grandparent to grandparent. "Well, that's great!" "We wish you good luck, Lucy." "Thank you. I, um, love you guys." Both smiled and returned the words of affection. "Goodbye!" "Talk to you late kiddo!" AS soon as the call ended and their faces faded from the screen, her smile fell slightly. "I miss them already," she mumbled under her breath. She shook her head and pulled at Igni's paw. They walked away from the town and immersed themselves into the wilderness of route 29.

"Igni, use smog!" A purple cloud gathered itself around the Pidgey, effectively suffocating it with poison. It crowed drunkenly as it tried to take flight and escape. "Go, pokeball!" Lucy flung the pokeball towards it and crossed her fingers in hope, an action Igni imitated. Somehow, however, it managed to dodge the device, even though it was in a dazed state. It gave it a quick slap with its wing and scrambled on the ground. It finally caught a slight wind and, with a frantic flapping of its wings, took off and escaped. "No! Come back!" She slumped down onto the ground and sat down with a dejected sigh. She stretched out her hand and gathered the rejected pokeball. "I don't understand, Igni… This is the fourth Pidgey we try to catch and all manage to escape!" Igni flinched a bit before patting her back. His master must be really frustrated if she had actually raised her voice. "Sorry Igni… Maybe I should just give u-""Mag!" "On catching P-pidgey, I mean." She crossed her legs and hunched forward to pluck at the grass. "Besides, I don't want to tire you out…" "Then just use your other pokémon." She bolted upright at the voice, nearly yelling out in surprise. "Wha-" She hadn't even heard the girl step towards her and, she could tell by how he had tensed up suddenly, Igni hadn't either. She stood up to face her. "W-well, I-I don't think C-chikorita likes me very m-much…" She didn't say anything for a while and just stared at her through narrowed eyes. Lucy scratched the back of her head anxiously before deciding to cut the silence. "Umm… I-I never introduced myself. My name is Lucy," she twirled her fingers a bit before continuing in a hushed tone, "Nice to m-meet you…" Both the girl and her bird friend sighed at the same exact time. "The problem is that you aren't weakening the Pidgey enough. Poison is only good tactic if coupled with something else. And, yes, hello; my name is Gwyn." Gwyn started to walk away, to which Lucy hunched at even more, before stopping and looking over her shoulder. "Follow?" "Huh? She perked her head up in shock and sputtered out quickly, "Right, s-sorry!" She halted when Gwyn did as such, and stood behind her with Igni. "I'll only show you once so please pay attention. Get ready, Murky." The black bird squawked loudly as it took off its perch and hovered near its master. "So, you have to attack the pokémon until it tires out," she paused, "Is smog the only attack you Magby has?" "Um…He knows ember as well…I think." "Good. Use that instead." Lucy gasped. "But, won't that hurt them much more?" Gwyn blinked at the red-head. "Yes. Well, no…Just watch." She pointed at the little heap of a pokémon sleeping in a bush across them. "Murky, use Peck on that Sentret!" Her pokémon darted it flight towards its victim, the bird's beak looking sharper than ever. Both Lucy and Igni wore a horrified look on their faces. "But…" She closed her eyes when she heard Sentret squeal in shock at being awakened so abruptly. "It was just a little scare. My Murkrow knows not to be too rough." It was true; Murkrow had targeted Sentret's tail with light pecks. When she heard Lucy breath out her held breathe, she went on. "The point is to tire them out, not injure them to death." The Sentret skirted the trail with Murkrow in tow, its little legs ready to give out in any second. "Murky, settle!" At the turn, Murkrow ceased his taunting and glided back onto Gwyn's shoulder. She took out a pokeball without any hesitation and threw it towards the Sentret. The baby Sentret, who either hadn't noticed or was just too tired, never smacked it back with its tail. It was sucked into the pokeball, which now lay rocking side-to-side on the ground. The whole entire time Lucy and Igni had just been watching in awe at Gwyn's demonstration of a correct capture. "There. Good?" She cooped the pokeball into her hands and blankly stared at it. "T-that was amazing! I-I understand now. Thank you, Gwyn." "Mag!" Gywn scowled, not really paying attention to either of them. She threw the pokball back towards the ground, sending out the tiny Sentret. "Wait, shouldn't you take him to the center?" She looked from the Sentret to Lucy, her frown fading a bit, "No. I don't want it. I only like ghost and dark Pokémon." "So…you're just going to leave him?" That…wasn't very nice. 'Such a cute little thing…' Gwyn just shrugged. "You can have it if you want. Have fun." And with that, she started to head off towards the direction of Cherrygrove. Lucy bit her lip and looked to the baby pokemon. She didn't want to just leave him there…but she also didn't want to stress him out and make him go through another capture. "He just needs a bit of rest…" she whispered to both herself and Igni. "Ah! Um, Gwyn!" She ran to her with Igni close by her side. "Yes?" She gulped softly before chuckling weakly. "I-I was just wondering…C-can I tag along? I mean…since were both heading the same way…" Igni trilled with joy. Finally! His master was going to make a friend, and without him urging her on! The pale girl shrugged once again. "Do you mind silence?" ʽW-what?' "U-um, excuse me?" "I mean, do you mind being around a silent person?" She shook her head hesitantly. "I'm n-not much of a talker e-either." "My Murkrow is a bit weird too." Said Murkrow cawed and gave his master a soft peck on the head. She could be so rude sometimes! "Ow." Lucy tried to stifle a giggle at his antics. "N-no, I don't mind…" "Then sure." Although her response was lacking enthusiasm, a smile grew on Lucy's face. A bit of an awkward smile, yes, but a smile nevertheless. "Okay, let's get through Cherrygrove fast so I can hunt for ghost pokemon in Violet," she said as she increased her walking pace. The corners of Lucy's smile drooped as Gwyn's words sank in. "W-wait, what?" She squeaked a bit as she blanched. "G-ghost pokemon?" Igni chirped unsurely as she glanced up to Lucy. This was going to be a very strange friendship for his master.


End file.
